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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Puzzle Developer: WhiteBear Publisher: Playlogic |
There are many games that players just can’t get enough of. Over the past couple of years the number game, Sudoku, has become to
be put together in a single game? If the two games were to have a love child, it would be born in the form of Playlogic’s latest Nintendo
DS title “Sudoku Ball Detective.” Players may wonder if a game of this type would be any fun. Many players will be happy to know that
the developer of the game has managed to take two games that seem to have nothing in common and mesh the two into a game that
seems to work quite well. While it may not be the finest game in either genre, players instead get a $20 package that is worth checking
out for those that are a fan of either genre. The concept of the game may sound ridiculous, but in form it makes for a very interesting
game.
It seems very obvious from the title that the game is based around a murder mystery and the only way to catch the perpetrator is to solve
a number of different Sudoku puzzles. For each puzzle players solve they gain an extra clue or get one step closer to catching the
assailant. This method works well for the most part due to the fact that the pacing of the game is done well enough that players get just
enough for each puzzle to keep players working through the game. Combining a story mode behind the puzzles in the game is what
differentiates this game from every other Sudoku game available and is also what makes it worth checking out, though the game
seems to have possibly run its course.
All of the puzzles in the game help the player to solve something, and the way that the developers have implemented this feature is very
unique. For example, when players are attempting to pick a lock, they obtain the numbers by solving a Sudoku puzzle. The same is
done in order to investigate and collect evidence. There are even a number of timed puzzles that allow players to continue using
memory instead of using logic. Players may find themselves very involved in solving the puzzles, but it didn’t come without a cost.
Some puzzles are extremely long, and without the option to save part way through the puzzle, players will find themselves giving up every
once in a while due to frustration. Portable games, to be successful, should always have a save anywhere function because of the
nature of the game being portable and may need to be shut off at any moment.
Another issue that some players may have with the game is the fact that while the mixture of murder mystery and number puzzles is
cool, they feel somewhat disconnected from each other. The entire flow of the game consists of players solving a puzzle, watching a cut
scene and then do the whole thing over again. The game would have been much more interactive if some of the puzzles were a little bit
more involved with the plot. It would also help if players actually cared about any of the characters in the game. At time players will
forget who they were supposed to be and worse of all, who the player is trying to solve the murder for. This takes some of the mystery
element out of the game as players never know who the killer may be, and many players may not even care who the killer is.
The touch screen controls involve players navigating their way through menus and of course drawing numbers into the Sudoku grid.
For the most part it all works fairly well, at least well enough to get by. However, there are times where the game confuses the number
that the player is trying to enter. Gamers shouldn’t have to be an artist in order to play this game, but the game should be able to
differentiate between ten simple numbers. Other than this feature, there really isn’t much interaction within the game. Players will also
notice quickly that this isn’t the longest game available and the difficulty is almost non-existent.
Outside of the main game, players are able to play a simple game of Sudoku. There are also three difficulty levels that player are able
to adjust in the story. However, once players solve the mystery and complete the game there isn’t much of a reason to come back to the
game again. A lack of multiplayer also takes away from the experience, plus Sudoku is only entertaining for a while. What players do
get is a different look at the two genres in the game and any fan of Sudoku should find that they will get their money back with “Sudoku
Ball Detective.”
“Sudoku Ball Detective” is an interesting concept that will give players a little bit of a spin on the genre. If players are not a fan of
number puzzles, then this game may not be worth checking out. It is certainly not going to reinvent the genre, but what it does in the
game, it does well. For those looking for a more exciting version of Sudoku with a fairly cheap price, this is a game worth checking out.
There is enough game to keep players busy with over 200 total puzzles for quite a long time.
be put together in a single game? If the two games were to have a love child, it would be born in the form of Playlogic’s latest Nintendo
DS title “Sudoku Ball Detective.” Players may wonder if a game of this type would be any fun. Many players will be happy to know that
the developer of the game has managed to take two games that seem to have nothing in common and mesh the two into a game that
seems to work quite well. While it may not be the finest game in either genre, players instead get a $20 package that is worth checking
out for those that are a fan of either genre. The concept of the game may sound ridiculous, but in form it makes for a very interesting
game.
It seems very obvious from the title that the game is based around a murder mystery and the only way to catch the perpetrator is to solve
a number of different Sudoku puzzles. For each puzzle players solve they gain an extra clue or get one step closer to catching the
assailant. This method works well for the most part due to the fact that the pacing of the game is done well enough that players get just
enough for each puzzle to keep players working through the game. Combining a story mode behind the puzzles in the game is what
differentiates this game from every other Sudoku game available and is also what makes it worth checking out, though the game
seems to have possibly run its course.
All of the puzzles in the game help the player to solve something, and the way that the developers have implemented this feature is very
unique. For example, when players are attempting to pick a lock, they obtain the numbers by solving a Sudoku puzzle. The same is
done in order to investigate and collect evidence. There are even a number of timed puzzles that allow players to continue using
memory instead of using logic. Players may find themselves very involved in solving the puzzles, but it didn’t come without a cost.
Some puzzles are extremely long, and without the option to save part way through the puzzle, players will find themselves giving up every
once in a while due to frustration. Portable games, to be successful, should always have a save anywhere function because of the
nature of the game being portable and may need to be shut off at any moment.
Another issue that some players may have with the game is the fact that while the mixture of murder mystery and number puzzles is
cool, they feel somewhat disconnected from each other. The entire flow of the game consists of players solving a puzzle, watching a cut
scene and then do the whole thing over again. The game would have been much more interactive if some of the puzzles were a little bit
more involved with the plot. It would also help if players actually cared about any of the characters in the game. At time players will
forget who they were supposed to be and worse of all, who the player is trying to solve the murder for. This takes some of the mystery
element out of the game as players never know who the killer may be, and many players may not even care who the killer is.
The touch screen controls involve players navigating their way through menus and of course drawing numbers into the Sudoku grid.
For the most part it all works fairly well, at least well enough to get by. However, there are times where the game confuses the number
that the player is trying to enter. Gamers shouldn’t have to be an artist in order to play this game, but the game should be able to
differentiate between ten simple numbers. Other than this feature, there really isn’t much interaction within the game. Players will also
notice quickly that this isn’t the longest game available and the difficulty is almost non-existent.
Outside of the main game, players are able to play a simple game of Sudoku. There are also three difficulty levels that player are able
to adjust in the story. However, once players solve the mystery and complete the game there isn’t much of a reason to come back to the
game again. A lack of multiplayer also takes away from the experience, plus Sudoku is only entertaining for a while. What players do
get is a different look at the two genres in the game and any fan of Sudoku should find that they will get their money back with “Sudoku
Ball Detective.”
“Sudoku Ball Detective” is an interesting concept that will give players a little bit of a spin on the genre. If players are not a fan of
number puzzles, then this game may not be worth checking out. It is certainly not going to reinvent the genre, but what it does in the
game, it does well. For those looking for a more exciting version of Sudoku with a fairly cheap price, this is a game worth checking out.
There is enough game to keep players busy with over 200 total puzzles for quite a long time.
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